Just as always...

[bloke]

...I'm posting a bunch.

Please strive to COVER UP my posts with your LEGION posts.

One of the main reasons that I post about what I'm doing is to cajole others (who may be a bit introverted in nature) into posting about what THEY are doing.

[bort2.0]

Hey Joe, that flooring you installed a while ago... The posts are gone on the other place. Can you remind me what product you used (hardwood? laminate? the new fad LVT?) We are finally (finally!) about to move into the house we bought last December. However, instead of having a whole home renovation done before moving in, we've been able to do nothing at all. Covid related delays and stuff... That's 2020 for you.

Have an 800 sq ft below grade living area currently with old carpet. It'll always be a basement, but would be much better without carpet.

If (big if) the concrete floor is level enough, I may be bold enough to install flooring myself. What did you use? I'm looking for something that would do well with moisture. Not basement/leaky kind of moisture, more like wet boots and messy kids. The laminate floor at our condo was annoying as hell, it was like getting cardboard wet... How much per sq ft when all said and done?

[MN_TimTuba]

Well, I'll lend a hand, covering up your post what I've been doing today.
After working the job I stopped and visited with 2 sets of neighbors for half an hour each, invited the men to Sporting Clays on the 26th, got to pet some little ankle-biter dog that has a tumor the size of a cantaloupe hanging off his side. Made it home, re-worked the grouse and the stroll sites to keep things fresh, then deposited corn cob leftovers, carrot trimmings, etc in the far corner of the property in front of the trail cam. I'm not bear hunting this year, but I do enjoy taking their photos!
Now listening to Appalachian Spring while picking church music for October and staying current on TubaForum.net.
My kind of day.
Let's hear yours.
Tim

[MN_TimTuba]

Hey Joe, that flooring you installed a while ago... The posts are gone on the other place. Can you remind me what product you used (hardwood? laminate? the new fad LVT?) We are finally (finally!) about to move into the house we bought last December. However, instead of having a whole home renovation done before moving in, we've been able to do nothing at all. Covid related delays and stuff... That's 2020 for you.

Have an 800 sq ft below grade living area currently with old carpet. It'll always be a basement, but would be much better without carpet.

If (big if) the concrete floor is level enough, I may be bold enough to install flooring myself. What did you use? I'm looking for something that would do well with moisture. Not basement/leaky kind of moisture, more like wet boots and messy kids. The laminate floor at our condo was annoying as hell, it was like getting cardboard wet... How much per sq ft when all said and done?

Brett,
For any MN basement, I'd recommend you check with a pro about getting some in-floor heat. Will make a ton of difference November thru March!
Good luck on those new-home projects!
Tim

[MN_TimTuba]

Good grief - double posted, again.
Well, I guess that just helps bury your post a little better
Tim

[bort2.0]

Hey Joe, that flooring you installed a while ago... The posts are gone on the other place. Can you remind me what product you used (hardwood? laminate? the new fad LVT?) We are finally (finally!) about to move into the house we bought last December. However, instead of having a whole home renovation done before moving in, we've been able to do nothing at all. Covid related delays and stuff... That's 2020 for you.

Have an 800 sq ft below grade living area currently with old carpet. It'll always be a basement, but would be much better without carpet.

If (big if) the concrete floor is level enough, I may be bold enough to install flooring myself. What did you use? I'm looking for something that would do well with moisture. Not basement/leaky kind of moisture, more like wet boots and messy kids. The laminate floor at our condo was annoying as hell, it was like getting cardboard wet... How much per sq ft when all said and done?

Brett,
For any MN basement, I'd recommend you check with a pro about getting some in-floor heat. Will make a ton of difference November thru March!
Good luck on those new-home projects!
Tim

If we were spending any serious time down there, then definitely. There's also a fireplace, which we may or may not ever use.

Oh, there is one project that's a must do before move in. Radon mitigation.

Oh, and a full new HVAC system. The boiler is shot, plus there are leaking radiator pipes buried in concrete/under the foundation. And no AC to begin with. It's a massively expensive project, but, ya gotta have heat in winter in Minnesota... Will be great. But I could buy that Thein tuba I've always wanted (plus...) for the same amount...

[Yorkboy]

I'm a staunch fan of real wood - I floored my entire house (7 rooms total), excluding the kitchen and two rooms in the attic, with 3/4" #1 oak.

In a basement, however, you might be better off with some kind of engineered/laminate flooring, with a high quality vapor barrier underneath it.

If it's somewhat damp, invest in a good dehumidifier too.

[MN_TimTuba]

[/quote]

There's also a fireplace, which we may or may not ever use.


[/quote]

Brett,
Well, I can't be there to lend a hand with your construction, but when you come up here one of these days I'll send you home with a trunk full of dry firewood so you can put that fireplace to good use.
Tim

[bort2.0]

Tim, you're too kind.

Plan is to change it to gas

(I'd LOVE to keep it wood burning, but the floor above it is going to be expanded, and the chimney's got to go). Plus, we are fancy city people. Push button fire ...

[Heavy_Metal]

Oh, and a full new HVAC system. The boiler is shot, plus there are leaking radiator pipes buried in concrete/under the foundation. And no AC to begin with. It's a massively expensive project, but, ya gotta have heat in winter in Minnesota... Will be great. But I could buy that Thein tuba I've always wanted (plus...) for the same amount...

Especially that far north, stay with hot-water or steam heat. Reroute pipes as needed. Forced-air will never keep you comfortable.

[cjk]

Consider polishing and painting the slab. Else, tile which looks like hardwood. It’s a basement, expect moisture down there.

[prairieboy1]

A day of getting organized for whatever the upcoming concert and brass band season has to offer. Registration was sent in online as well as an e-transfer for the yearly fees. The paying of my tenant and car insurance also. Thought about going through my quartet music, "Benediction" by John Stevens being one of them (playing the first tuba part with the solo at the beginning and the end ) however pushed it back to tomorrow. Watched Cleveland beat Cincinnati on Thursday Night Football and that's it. Lots of playing tomorrow.

[bort2.0]

Frank -- I agree, radiator heat is great. But, the costs don't add up for us... Replacing the boiler and redoing the pipes will cost about 70% of the cost of a new system. And still leaves us without AC. And running all the ductwork for that... I hear that the whole house humidifier will help a lot with the "warmness" feeling. I just don't want to get zapped too much.

cjk -- hadn't thought about polishing the slab... Might be a decent idea, but seems awfully cold in winter. Hrmm... Maybe that's why they did carpet in the first place.

Gonna be 40 degrees tonight. Better get on this soon...

[bloke]

Brett,
The stuff that I used is a multi layer but thin tongue in groove laminate of all wood...with appearance wood as the top surface. The appearance wood is still thick enough to be sanded and refinished twice, if needed.
It can be floated, glued or nailed. I nailed it with an angled small floor nailer (staples, technically) made specifically for this product.
I would be tempted to seal that concrete, build a wooden subfloor on top of it of treated framing lumber and marine plywood (all screwed) - with some sort of waterproof insulation, and then nail this laminate to that marine plywood…and put tarpaper on top of the marine plywood to boot…
(incidentally, this would give you some space for that hot water piping heating system that someone else above recommended.)
...but I would ALSO consult with a basement/moisture expert, and wait to decide anything until you have some horrendous torrential rain, and pay attention to what happens in your basement, during and after that event.
I bought my flooring from a place that sells ends of runs for very very low prices. The stuff that I picked was exactly what I wanted, and only a part of one box (only about ten square feet) more than I needed for my job was available. It’s pretty cocky to risk only buying barely more than the square footage needed, but I do take chances and often come out on top when doing so.
If you are going to dare to put wood flooring in a basement, I would double the recommended distance from the edge of the wall, which would define some big-ass quarter-round hovering over the edges of your floor.

I didn’t practice today, and should have. Tomorrow I have to sight-read most of another neighborhood brass quintet concert, as half of the repertoire has been changed, and today I was just too exhausted to look at the stuff that was emailed to me...but I’m sure it’s all just auto-pilot type of music anyway, but still… I also did NOT run the Vaughan Williams 2nd Mvt. (performing - for memory - with a brass choir accompaniment in less than a month) today.

[matt g]

PVC laminate flooring with proper underlay is great in the basement. Water isn’t an issue.

[Shawn]

All this talk makes me glad I have an apartment.
I am utterly in awe of anyone who can maintain/improve a house.

[bort2.0]

All this talk makes me glad I have an apartment.
I am utterly in awe of anyone who can maintain/improve a house.

I'll be 40 years old in a few weeks. This is my first house. I could have easily gone another 5-10 years without owning a house.

[Three Valves]

I’m doing my part, I’m getting the band back together!!

[prairieboy1]

Finally, a really solid day of rehearsing. All of the Brass Quintet and Euphonium-Tuba Quartet stuff played through thoroughly, including "Bill Bailey", which has proven to be quite a challenge for me at least. Trying to pigeon-proof my deck before winter and hoping for more success than last year. That's all folks!

[Mark E. Chachich]

The Bel Air Community Band is still on hold until (at least) 2021. I have been practicing almost every evening and found an old book of string bass solos (from when I used to play a lot of string bass) to augment my usual tour through my etude books.

On another front, I have been using my Weber Kettle to smoke brats and hotdogs. My wife soaked a chicken in Coca Cola over night and I did the "beer butt chicken" grill only with the Coke, it tasted very good.

Best to Everyone,
Mark